Grinding of irregular shaped work



INV NTORS ANGUS J. MO E ATTORNEY VERN H. BATHRICK JOHN A. CARLSON A ril28, 1953 J A CARLSON ETAL GRINDING 0F iRREGULAR SHAPED WORK Filed March15, 1951 E-Sheefs-Sheet l Filed March 15) 1951 Q a 10 /z luM-l 4 Q l r IINVENTORS ANGUS J MORSE VERN H. BATHRICK JOHN A. CARLSON April 1953 .1.A. CARLSON arm. 2,636,322

GRINDING 0F IRREGULAR SHAPED WORK Filed March 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Shqet 3Patented Apr. 28, 1953 GRINDING F IRREGULAR SHAPED WORK John A. Carlson,Vern H. Bathrick, and Angus J. Morse, Muskegon, Mich., assignors toSealed Power Corporation, Muskegon, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication March 15, 1951, Serial No. 215,806

6 Claims. (01. 51-112) The present invention relates to grindingmachines, and particularly to a novel, practical and very useful andeffective attachment, designed and adapted to be connected with metalgrinders of the opposed abrasive wheel type, the grinding wheels ofwhich are spaced a short distance from each other at adjacent faces andbetween which faces various types of work pieces, such as piston ringsor washers, or other relatively thin .articles of circular form arepassed for simultaneous grinding at opposite sides. With our invention,irregularly shaped work pieces, which do not roll or rotate likesubstantially circular washers or piston rings, and which obstruct eachother and in such grinders of the opposed abrasive wheel type, have notbeen fed through the grinder in a continuous grinding operation oneafter the other, before our invention, so'far as known.

With our invention, irregularly shaped work pieces may be continuouslyfed through conventional grinders of the opposed, spaced, abrasive wheeltype. The primary object and purpose of our invention is to provide anattachment for such type of grinders which may be readily secured orinstalled in place on such type grinding machines, and which has novelstructure for holding and guiding the irregularly shaped work piecesthrough and between the opposed grinding wheels without obstruction,jamming or the like. Such holders for the irregularly shaped work pieceswill have a thickness slightly under the thickness of the worked piecesprocessed, so as not to be ground at either side by the grinding wheels,while the work pieces will have a thickness such that at opposite sidesboth of such sides will be equally ground and finished simultaneously.

Many novel structures and arrangements and combination of parts andelements for attaining the primary objectstated, as well as forattaining other objects and purposes not at this timeenumerated, willappear and be evident up'on an understanding of a preferred structureembodying the invention, described in the following description inconnection with the aclustrating the station of entering or feeding thework pieces which are to be processed.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section, substantially on the plane ofline 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical section, substantiallyon the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section, substantially onthe plane of line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a similar section, substantially on the plane of line 6-6 ofFig. l and Fig. 7 is a transverse,.enlarged, generally vertical section,substantially on the plane of line 1--1 of Fig. 1.

Like reference charactersv refer to like parts in the different figuresof the drawings, andall sections are taken looking in the directionsindicated by the arrows associated with the section lines.

The grinding machine to which our invention is applied includes twogrinding wheels I mounted to turn preferably upon a common horizontalaxis of rotation with adjacent vertical faces of the wheels spaced ashort distance from each other as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. The shaftsand journals for carrying such wheels are supported on vertical supports2 connected with the supporting frame 3 of the grinding ma.- chine whichhas an upper horizontal table extending to both sides of the grindingwheels. On what may be called the front of the table, a vertical plate 4is permanently secured and at the rear portion, beyond the grindingwheels, a second plate 5 vertically positioned is likewise secured. Theouter faces of said plates 4 and 5 preferably are substantially in thevertical plane of one of the grinding wheels I, the one at the backwhich is shown in Fig. l, the cooperating grinding wheel in front ofsuch back wheel in Fig. 1 not being shown.

At the outer ends of the supporting plates 4 and 5, suitable brackets 6of the structure shown in Figs. land 2, or their equivalents, aremounted and have a limited capacity for both vertical and horizontaladjustment by the usual set screw and slot conventional adjustingstructure. A guide track for the holders of irregularly shaped pieces,which are to be ground at opposed sides, is secured at one end to therear supporting bracket 6 attached to the plate 5, and extends therefromupwardly in curved form and thence forwardly over the grinding machineand is thence curved to extend vertically downward, at its opposite endterminating in a curved portion attached to the front bracket ii. Thisguide track includes a back plate I which, in practice, will be made insections secured together and to end, at the inner and outer edges ofwhich and at what may be denoted as its front side,

wheels I.

spacer bars 8 are located, at the front side of which are narrow plates9 extending inwardly toward each other, from the edges of the backplates 1, terminating at their adjacent edges short of each other. Theguide track is reinforced and strengthened by bars iii of conventional,right angle across section, the plate I, the spacer bars 8, the narrowerplates 9 and the bars It being bolted together to make a stable unit, asshown in Fig. '7.

Between the adjacent edges of the two narrow plates 9 a bar H which,though of several sections is in efiect continuous, is located, and iscarried at spaced distances in the length thereof by flexible thin metalstrips l2, permanently secured at their outer ends by the same boltswhich bind the outer angle bar I, plate Sand associated spacer bar 8together. Screws i3 attached to the outer of the plates 9, pass onethrough an opening between the ends-of each of the members i2, havethumb nuts thereon hearing against the adjacent members 52, with a lightstrength coiled compression spring I 1 around each screw between theouter plate 9- and the associated member i 2. which is substantiallysquare in cross section tends to move away from the back plate 1 andisheld in proper adjusted position by operation of the thumb nuts on thescrews 3.

Such guide track is adapted to hold circular carriers l5, which arerings, the exterior diameter of which .is less than the distance betweenthe inner edges of the spacing bars 8, and greater than the distancebetween the adjacent edges of the plates 9. The thickness of the carrierrings i5 is less than the thicknessof the spacers 8. Therefore, suchcarrier rings l'5 may move from the entrance end of the guide tracktherefor, at the right in Fig. 1, through the guide and return to theoutlet end of said guide track for delivery in succession to ahorizontally located article feeding and article ejecting mechanism forsuch carrier rings. The irregularly shaped articles are fed one to eachcarrier ring I5 and carried thereby to pass between the adjacent facesof the grinding wheels After passing the grinding wheels such processedarticles, preferably immediately before rings 15 enter the guide trackstructure, are ejected.

Between the vertical supporting plates 4 and -5, two parallel thin barsl6 extend from adjacent the outer end of one support 4 to the outer endof the other support '5, passing across and between the spaced opposedabrasive grinding Such bars are thinner than the space between thegrinding wheels (Fig. 5), and are connected to their supporting plates 4and 5 at opposite ends with a set screw ands'lot connection, permittingvertical adjustment or spacing of the bars Hi from each other. At thefront of the wheels and on the .face of thesupporting plate 4 to whichbars I6 are secured, a covering plate i! (see Figs. 1 and 2) is securedby set screws or the like passing through horizontal slots ITa in saidplate and threading into the vertical support 4. As shown in Fig. 3, sowing bars I8 are between the support t and the plate IT. The bars l8are of greater thickness than the bars l6, and also have greaterthickness than the carrying rings ii. In the plate ll, agenerallycentrally disposed opening is made into which a collar I9 is insertedand secured, having a central opening through it. A downwardly andinwardly or rearwardly inclined chutegfl. is connected to the collar [9.It extends up- Normally, the bar wardly and outwardly therefrom, downwhich the flat irregularly shaped articles 2| which are to be groundmove by gravity, whereby the lowermost of such articles 2| drops into acarrier ring if: as such ring passes by the inner end of the openingthrough the collar (Fig. 3). The collar l3, flanged at its outer end, isreleasably held in place by spaced radially disposed securing clips 22(Fig. 2) through which set screws .pass threading into the plate 11.

Both above and below collar 19 are short horizonta1 bars 23 on the outeror front face of the plate secured to the plate by set screws passingthrough horizontal slots therein. Each bar at each end has a downwardlyextending lug terminating in a forwardly extending horizontal boss 23a.Each boss has an axial opening, circular in cross section, through itfrom its outer to its inner end. A rod 24 (Fig. 4) passes through theboss, at its inner end being equipped with a head 25 inwardly of acollar 26 on the rod 24, against which a light compression spring .21,around the .rod 25, bears at one end, the opposite end of the springcoming against the inner end of an adjusting screw 28 lengthwise throughwhich the rod 24 vfreely passes. The rod 24 at it outer end .is threadedto receive the nut. 24a, and the plate I? where the heads .25 arelocated is horizontally slotted as at 29 .(Fig. 2) ,so that the innersides of said heads :25 may be adjusted to be spaced from the adjacentface of the support 4, a distance approximating the thickness of thearticle carrying rings i5. Thus the rings i5 at the time that thearticles 2; are

received therein are maintained in position and do not tilt or shift atany time when the irregularly shaped articles 2| are fed thereto. Beyondthe inner or rear edge of the plate H is a narrower cover plate 38 overthe space between the bars l5 and at the outer sides thereof, holdingthe article carrying rings |5 substantially in a vertical plane untilsuch rings, with the articles 2| therein'com'e to and enter the spacebetween adjacent faces of the grinding wheels I,

The supporting plate 4 has a horizontal slot 3| therein (Figs. '3 and5). At the back-of the plate, an endless chain 32, with spaced lugs 33,is mounted on wheels 34, one of'which is mounted for idle rotarymovement, and the other on a vertical driven shaft 35, located adjacentthe grinding wheels i, which shaft may be driven by the electric motor,belt and reduction gearing, indicated at as in Fig. l. The lugs 33 enterthe openings in successive afiicle carrying rings |5,

engage thereagainst atone side and draw "the rings l5 with articles 2|therein, and push the other rings ahead of them, delivering suchcarrierrings and the articles 2| therein in continuous succession to andbetween the grinding wheels I. While engaged with the lugs 33, thecarrier rings i5 do not rotate but are pulled along, but as soon as aring I5, with the article 2| therein, is freed of the lugs and comes tothe grinding wheels, such ring is free to turn and move by a rollingcontact on the lower bar |6. The opposed sides of the articles 2| aresimultaneously ground substantially equal amounts so that upon leavingthe wheels 1,, the irregularly shaped articles 2| are entirely processedand are ready to be delivered from the machine.

A vertical plate 3] (Figs. 1 and 6) is mounted at the frontor outer sideof the rear end portions of the bars I8 beyond the wheels |,being spacedsupporting plate 4.

from the supporting plate"5 substantially the same distance that theplate I! is from the front It covers a part of the length of the lowerbar 6 and extends upwardly a sufficient distance to retain the carrierrings l5 and the articles 2| therein until the entrance end of through aslot M in the plate 7 to bear against an article 2i to push it outwardlyupon an inclined way 38 therefor for delivery of the processed articles2! to a receiving receptacle 39 (Fig. l). The carrying rings l5are'pushed alohg'their guide from the entrance end thereof, which is thedelivery end for the processed articles 2|, moving the length of theguide track to return the rings to the delivery end thereof, which isthe entrance end of said rings to the station where each carrier ring issupplied with an irregularly shaped article 2! to be carried to thegrinding wheels.

The structure described is in practical use and has been thoroughlytested and proven. It satisfactorily accomplishes high quantityproduction and excellent quality in simultaneously grinding suchirregularly shaped fiat articles at opposed sides. There is noobstruction jamming or the like, and no damage to either the grindingwheels or to the articles which might occur from such jammingobstruction of them. I

The invention is defined in the appended claims, and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. In a grinding machine two spaced abrasive rotatable grinding wheelsbetween which articles adapted to be ground on opposite sides are movedbetween the adjacent faces of the wheels, a substantially continuousseries of abutting carrier rings of circular form, a loading stationcomprising a structure having a horizontal passage therethrough throughwhich said carirer rings in succession are adapted to pass to andbetween the grinding wheels, including a horizontal supporting bar overwhich the carrier rings move between the grinding wheels from one sideto the other side thereof, a structure at the other side of the grindingwheels having a horizontal passage therethrough through which saidcarrier rings pass after leaving the grinding wheels, said loadingstation structure having an entrance opening at one side through whichflat articles to be ground by the grinding wheels are entered into saidcarrier rings in succession, and a track guide at the outlet end of thepassage through the last mentioned structure extending therefromupwardly and back and thence downwardly to the outer end of thehorizontal passage through the loading station structure, andcontinuously operating means to engage with said carrier rings locatedat a side of said loading station structure for moving them therethroughand delivering them with the articles to be ground therein to betweenthe grinding wheels, forcing said carrier rings through the grindingwheels and acting to force the rings through said track guide bypressure engagement of successive rings against each other to returnthem in succession to the entrance opening to the horizontal passage insaid loading station structure.

2. In a grinding machine of the opposed abrasive wheel type, twogrinding wheels with adjacent faces parallel to and spaced from eachother,

vertically spaced-'horizontal'bars parallel to each other between saidgrinding wheels extending beyond the opposite edges thereof, andsupports to which the ends of said bars are connected, a covering plateattached-to one of said supports at one side of the wheels and spacedfrom the support to provide a horizontal passage therethrough, asubstantially continuous series of carrier rings,-successive ringsbearing against each other and adapted to be entered into said passageat one side of the grinding wheels for movement thereof one succeedingthe other to and between said grinding wheels, means for engaging withsaidcarrier rings mounted at the outer side of said support continuouslyoperating to force said carrier rings to the space between said grindingwheels, said plate secured tov the support having an opening at one sidefor the passage therethrough of irregularly shaped articles, one intoeach of said carrier rings, and a guide track receiving said carrierrings after they have passed between the grinding wheels carrying themupwardly and back over the grinding wheels to the outer end of saidpassage between said support and the plate attached thereto.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2, the thickness of the verticallyspaced horizontal bars being less than the distance between the adjacentfaces of the grinding wheels, said carrier rings having approximatelythe same thickness as said bars.

4. In a grinding machine of the opposed abrasive wheel type, twovertical grinding wheels with adjacent faces parallel to and spaced fromeach other, a horizontal bar between the grinding wheels extending toopposite sides thereof, a substantially continuous series of carrierrings, each adapted to receive an irregularly shaped articletherewithin, said rings being in successive contact engagement andmovable one after the other between the grinding wheels and resting uponsaid bar, means for guiding and carrying said rings over said bar to thegrinding wheels, means for loading each ring with an irregularly shapedarticle at one side of and before reaching the grinding wheels, a trackguide for said rings to which the rings are delivered at the oppositeside of the grinding wheels, extending therefrom over and back to saidcarrying and guiding means for the rings, and means for continuouslymoving said rings one after the other in an endless path including oversaid horizontal bar and through said track guide.

5. In a grinding machine, two spaced opposed abrasive wheels, a guidetrack located to have an entrance opening at one end thereof adjacentone of the edges of the opposed abrasive wheels, carrier rings thereinone after the other in continuous abutting contact engagement with eachother, said guide track comprising a back, two spaced front membersconnected with said back parallel thereto and extending toward eachother, and spaced from each other at adjacent inner edges, whereby thetrack guide is of a generally channel shape in cross section, said trackguide being curved upwardly away from said entrance opening and thenceextending downwardly and terminating in an outlet end in the samegeneral plane with the entrance opening thereof, said outlet andentrance openings of the track guide being at opposed sides of theabrasive wheels, and said track guide being mounted in fixed relationthereto.

6. A structure as defined in claim 5, and a bar having a width less thanthe distance between the adjacent edges-of said front members of-thewrecks guide :lecated between themior the length of the track-guide,spaced flexible members connected to said bar :at one end of each ofsaid members, .said members attheir other ends extending therefrom andbeing attached to the guide, and means for adjusting said flexiblemembers to locate said bar in a predetermined spaced relation to theback d the trackrguide.

Number Name Date 844,816 Lee Feb. 19, 1907 1,142,700 Halstead June 3,1915 Number a Number V Name Date Cofiman May 7, 1929 Rodemeyer June 17,1930 Hughes June 14, 1932 McGirr -1 Aug. -8. 1933 Junker Mar. 17, 1936Young July 30, 1940 Scott Jan. 7, 1941 Mason 'et a1. Oct. 13, 1942 IndgeJan. 19,1943 Inmen Oct, 1, 1946 Bullard Aug. 28, .1951 Young Oct.16,1951

FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany July '16, 1910

